Kind Of Katsu Curry

If you know Brighton, you know Pompoko’s. It’s a little Japanese restaurant with a reputation far bigger than the nook of space it takes up. Pompoko’s is regularly visited and even more frequently craved by pretty much everyone I know. The service is quick, the food is reliable and there’s nothing quite like a Chicken Nanban Don at the end of a debaucherous weekend to chase the Sunday blues away. Basically, Pompoko’s has a firm place in my heart.

A photo posted by 🍴Cate In The Kitchen🍴 (@cateinthekitchen) on Jul 26, 2016 at 4:26pm PDT

It went pretty well as far as we were both concerned. The sauce tasted to me like katsu curry (seen on the menu at Pompoko’s, if you’re ever in the market for it, as Breadcrumbed Coated Chicken Curry) which is what made me want to give it a try with chicken.

This post isn’t sponsored, I just think if you’re into this kind of curry dish, Goldfish are a brand you should know about. The curry comes as a paste to which all you need add is water, meaning you’re not getting all the nasty stuff you often find in jarred sauces. I’ve used a couple of tubs of this stuff since first receiving it to play with cause it works so well as a quick rice dish situation.

Put the rice and cold water in a saucepan and cook on a medium heat until water has gone and rice is cooked. Drain and pour over a kettle of boiled water. Meanwhile..

Put the breadcrumbs, flour and egg into three separate bowls.

Smash the chicken breasts with a rolling pin a few times to flatten for easier frying (and more breadcrumb coating). I usually do this on a chopping board covered with clingfilm, with more clingfilm covering the chicken. So that you’ve got the chicken in sort of a clingfilm sandwich.

Coat the chicken first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

Heat sunflower oil (about 1cm up the pan) in a non-stick frying pan, check it’s hot enough by throwing in a couple of the breadcrumbs. If they sizzle, you’re good to go.

Fry the chicken for 8-12 minutes or until.. you know.. cooked.

Let the chicken breasts rests while you make the sauce, just dissolve the paste in water over a medium heat and bubble away to thicken for a couple of minutes.